Local networks are often connected to external networks via a bidirectional routing device commonly referred to as a gateway. In a local networking arrangement of this type with external network attachments, e.g., attachments provided through the local gateway, endpoints of the local network are typically assigned Internet Protocol (IP) addresses by a remote server in accordance with the well-known Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). DHCP dynamically allocates IP addresses to computers on a local network. For example, a range of IP addresses may be assigned to DHCP, such that each computer or other device on the local network can have its Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)/IP software configured to request an IP address from a remote DHCP server. The request and grant process uses a lease concept with a controllable time period.
A significant problem with the above-described type of conventional address assignment arrangement is that there is no guarantee that different endpoints on the same physical local network, e.g., different endpoints on the same local area network (LAN), will be assigned compatible subnetwork addresses.
This IP addressing disparity prevents local network utilities, e.g., a Network Neighborhood utility, from identifying locally available resources, such as computers, printers, file servers or other devices attached to the same LAN. Instead, this conventional addressing arrangement requires that such devices be treated as remote devices. As a result, the local gateway is generally required to route communications between different devices on the same LAN through an external network, e.g., an external public switched telephone network (PSTN) or asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network. For example, as a result of the conventional IP addressing arrangement, a personal computer attached to a given LAN which sends a message to a printer attached to the same LAN may have to route the message out through the gateway into the external network, from which the message will be directed back through the gateway to the printer. It is apparent that this type of communication unnecessarily consumes gateway and external network processing resources.